Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Rajeev Chandrasekhar
MP of Rajya Sabha for Karnataka
Assumed office
3 April 2012
Founder and Chairman
Jupiter Capital Pvt. Ltd.
Assumed office
20 July 2005
President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry
In office
2007–2008
Personal details
Born (1964-05-31) 31 May 1964
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Nationality Indian
Political party Bharatiya Janata Party[1]
Spouse(s) Anju Chandrasekhar
Parents M K Chandrasekhar, Valli Chandrasekhar
Residence Bangalore, India
Alma mater Manipal Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Website www.rajeev.in

Rajeev Chandrasekhar (born 31 May 1964) is an Indian politician and Multimillionaire entrepreneur who is currently serving as Member of Parliament in the upper house (Rajya Sabha) of the Indian Parliament. He is the Member of Bharatiya Janata Party as of 2018 and also the vice-chairman of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition National Democratic Alliance in its Kerala wing.[2] He represents the state of Karnataka.

He also currently serves as member of the Parliament, Standing Committee on Defence, Consultative Committee on Finance, the Central Advisory Committee for the National Cadet Corps, Co-Chairman of District Development Coordination & Monitoring Committee, Bangalore Urban District. He used to be a member of Select committee on Real Estate and Select Committee on GST.

He is the founder and chairman of Jupiter Capital Pvt. Ltd, a financial services and investment company. One of Jupiter Capital's portfolio companies' Asianet News is also the main and largest investor of ₹30 crore (US$4.2 million) for Republic TV.[3][4][5]

Early life and education

Rajeev was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat to a Malayali Nair family. His father M. K. Chandrasekhar was an Air Commodore of the Indian Air Force. His mother is Mrs. Valli Chandrasekhar.

He studied in various schools across India, and studied electrical engineering at Manipal Institute of Technology.[6] He completed Masters in Computer Science in 1988 from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. He then completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Career

In 1981, Rajeev briefly worked for Softech, a start-up IT firm. After handpicked by Vinod Dham, Rajeev worked for Intel Corporation in the United States between 1985 and 1991 as Senior Design Engineer of the team that designed and launched 32 bit 80486 microprocessor and CPU architect in the team that designed the path breaking Pentium microprocessor.

Entrepreneur

In 1994, Rajeev founded BPL Mobile. In July 2005, he sold his 64 percent stake in BPL Communications to Essar Group for US$1.1 billion.

Rajeev founded Jupiter Capital in 2005, with an initial investment of US$100 million, and currently has investments and managed assets of over US$800 million in technology, media, hospitality, and entertainment. Jupiter Entertainment Ventures Private Limited owns and operates media companies including Asianet News, Kannada Prabha and Suvarna News 24x7 and Republic TV run by Arnab Goswami. The company also owns radio brands Best FM and Radio Indigo.[7][8]

Rajeev recognizes he is a Member of Parliament who also earns his income from business investments. He has put all his communication to Governments past and present on his website.[9] For purpose of clarity, all investee companies have their Boards, Chairpersons, and Managements who are responsible for these companies, and neither Jupiter Capital nor Rajeev is responsible in any way for these companies or their operations.[10]

In April 2013, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum, for his work as an entrepreneur.

Politics

Currently he is the vice chairman of BJP-led NDA Kerala state unit.[11]

Member of Parliament

Rajeev Chandrasekhar was an Independent member of Rajya Sabha representing Karnataka from April 2006 to April 2012. In April 2012, he was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka for a second six-year term as an Independent member. He has advocated for governance reforms, institution building, Internet freedom, national security, welfare of the Armed Forces Personnel and sustainable city building of Bangalore and Karnataka.

Positions held

  • Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
  • Member of Standing Committee on Defence
  • Member of Consultative Committee on Finance
  • Member of the Central Advisory Committee for the National Cadet Corps
  • Co-Chairman of District Development Coordination & Monitoring Committee, Bangalore Urban District.
  • Founder and Chairman, Jupiter Capital Pvt. Ltd.
  • Founder and Principal Donor – Flags of Honour Foundation
  • Founder and Principal Bengaluru Foundation
  • Founder and Managing Trustee – RC Foundation (RCF)
  • Chairman, National Military Memorial
  • Director, ARG Outlier

Personal life

Rajeev is married to Anju Chandrasekhar and resides in Koramangala, Bangalore. They have a son, Ved, and a daughter Devika. Anju is the daughter of telecom pioneer TPG Nambiar.

Honours, awards and international recognition

India Today magazine ranked him #41st in India's 50 Most powerful people of 2017 list.[12]

YearNameAwarding organizationRef.
2007 IIT Global Service Award. Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. [13]

References

  1. ↑ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/independent-rajya-sabha-mp-rajeev-chandrasekhar-joins-bjp/articleshow/63271826.cms
  2. ↑ "'It's all about market share': Arnab Goswami's funder Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Republic TV and more".
  3. ↑ "MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar invests Rs 30 cr in Arnab Goswami's The Republic". MediaNama. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "Kerala NDA vice-chairman Rajeev Chandrasekhar investor, director in Arnab Goswami's Republic". The Indian Express. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  5. ↑ "What the Nation Wants to Know but Arnab's Republic Won't Tell You". The Quint. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "Distinguished Manipal Alumni".
  7. ↑ "Personal Website of Rajeev Chandrasekhar". rajeev.in.
  8. ↑ "Bloomberg Stock Page : Jupiter Entertainment Ventures Private Limited".
  9. ↑ "Personal Website of Rajeev Chandrasekhar". rajeev.in.
  10. ↑ "Personal Website of Rajeev Chandrasekhar". rajeev.in.
  11. ↑ "Businessman Rajeev Chandrasekhar appointed Vice Chairman of NDA in Kerala - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  12. ↑ "India's 50 powerful people". India Today. April 14, 2017.
  13. ↑ "2007 Alumni Award winners". Illinois Institute of Technology. Retrieved 16 June 2016.

Further reading

  • Sanghvi, Vir (2012). Men of Steel. Roli Books Private Limited. ISBN 9788174368256.
  • Denyer, Simon (2012). Rogue Elephant: Harnessing the Power of India's Unruly Democracy. A&C Black. ISBN 9781408849767.
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